Japan · Account Transfer · Est. 1973
Japan's domestic interbank clearing network, one of the oldest electronic payment systems in the world, connecting over 1,000 banks and financial institutions. Originally a batch-processing system, Zengin was upgraded to 24/7 real-time operations in 2018 via the "More Time System" extension. Operated by the Japanese Bankers Association with settlement through the BOJ, it handles the vast majority of Japan's domestic credit transfers. Note: data includes all Zengin transactions (both real-time and batch-processed), as the system does not separately report its 24/7 instant component.
Zengin is Japan’s real-time payment system (Account Transfer), launched in 1973. Japans domestic interbank clearing network, one of the oldest electronic payment systems in the world, connecting over 1,000 banks and financial institutions.
Zengin processed 2.0 billion transactions worth $28.6tn in 2025, a year-on-year change of +3.5%.
Zengin is operated by Japanese Bankers Association, with near-instant settlement.
Zengin launched in 1973, and today has 1,000 participating institutions.
Zengin is primarily an account-to-account transfer system.
Data source: Zengin-Net.
| Capability | Status |
|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | — |
| Wallet Support | — |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | — |
| ISO 20022 | — |
| Request to Pay | — |
| Open API | — |
| Alias/Proxy | — |